If your laundry does a good job processing drop-off laundry, then perhaps it’s time to expand your reach and go after anything full-service. That means pursuing both area residents and commercial accounts, and processing everything from clothes, towels, blankets and sheets to duvets, tabletops, napkins and quilts. Doing so involves an investment of time, space and technology, but the rewards can be lucrative and dramatically boost your laundry’s resale value.
Read on for tips on how to maximize full-service work, generate more revenue and elevate your store’s resale value…
Pickup and Delivery
First, establish pickup and delivery service so you can reach more residential and commercial customers and expand your geographic service area. This requires additional labor, a delivery vehicle and a point-of-sale (POS) software program or website that allows online ordering and facilitates easy delivery management, tracking, reporting and payment processing.
Then, establish your routes. Some laundries have stops from which they don’t vary, regardless of whether there is a pick-up or not; others do on-demand only when the customer requests service. Both solutions work, but on-demand is more cost effective because it conserves operating costs like labor, gasoline, time, etc. Start small with your pickup and delivery and expand little by little.
Pricing
How much will you charge for your service? There are several pricing options that work well, including cost-per-pound, subscription and by-the-bag. The problem with traditional cost-per-pound is that sometimes customers can’t grasp what they are spending until after delivery. Thus, they might shy away from using your service. Another way of pricing is by subscription where a customer is committed to a specific dollar/bag/poundage amount every week/month. Their credit card is automatically charged for that set amount whether anything is picked up and processed or not. Some laundries charge by the bag and go as far as offering different sized laundry bags, at $25, $35 and $50 per bag, for example, with some households asking for multiple bags.
Equipment and Space
You’ve made the decision to go after business from households and small companies. To do this well and properly process laundry, a highly programmable commercial washer is critical. Additionally, a flatwork ironer is a must for ironing sheets and tabletops. If you don’t have enough space inside the laundry for these, consider removing a few pieces of equipment or renting/buying another building/location.
Washers with Simple, Sophisticated Programmability
It’s hard to properly clean spa linens and food and beverage items using a public vended washer because napkins and tabletops are notorious for stains and grease.
Most vended washers don’t offer commercial programming that allows for higher water temperature options, automatic chemical injection, delayed soaks and breaks between baths. But these features are a must for processing commercial account laundry!
The good news is there are hybrid washers on the market, such as the Genius Series Washers, that do double-study and can switch from vended to commercial
programming. They display a self-service customer interface and programming for customer use, then can switch to a full-service interface and sophisticated programming for employee use.
Be sure to pair your washers with highly programmable, reversing dryers with moisture sensing to prevent tangling and over-drying.
Flatwork Ironer with Folder
By adding a flatwork ironer to your equipment mix, you can suddenly process flatwork from spas, small hotels, restaurants, catering companies and vacation rentals. This opens doors for new business!
When selecting an ironer, choose one that irons sheets, duvets and tabletops directly from the washer while still damp. It should dry, iron and partially fold goods in one automated step. This improves production, saves labor time and helps eliminate dryer bottlenecks.
Invest in a wax-less flatwork ironer that also has folding capability like the 20-inch Continental Girbau Express Ironer. Most flatwork will run through this size ironer without first folding items in half, including king sheets.
Get More Space!
If you’re tight on space inside your vended laundry to efficiently process full-service work without getting in the way of self-service customers, it’s time to get more space or process full-service work after hours. If a second space is the answer for you, look at available buildings next to or near your laundry. Get an equipment distributor involved early on to help you locate one that is suitable for your needs with applicable utility connections. That distributor can also assist you with selecting the right equipment.
Reap the Rewards
Through your commitment to expansion and investment in equipment and technology, you’ll get your foot in the door with clients you couldn’t service before, benefit from new revenue streams and strengthen profits — all while growing the value of your enterprise.
About the Author
Tod Sorensen is a regional business manager at Girbau North America and vice president of Continental Girbau West, a full-service distributorship serving the Southern California vended, on-premise and industrial laundry markets. He holds more than 20 years of experience in vended laundry development and market analysis. Please contact him with any questions at tsorensen@gnalaundry.com or call 866-950-2449.